Beverly E. O’Connell, 83, of Tappan, New York, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 3rd, 2021. 

Bev was born in New York City on January 25, 1938 to Carl and Norma (Weeks) Buchner . She grew up in Bayside and graduated with a teaching degree from St. John’s University . Bev began her career working as a kindergarten teacher at the Lee Avenue Elementary School. After raising her family, she went back to teaching nursery school and CCD, and then spent time reading stories to children at the Northvale Library.

In 1960, Bev married her beloved husband Tom. Bev was a devoted and loving wife, and she and Tom shared a strong, faith-filled marriage of 60 years. Together they had 4 children: Kathleen Maher, Brian O’Connell (partner Ann Starke), Suzanne Lucido (husband James) and Kerry Castro (husband Noel). She was a gentle and caring mother who made every day events something special. She was especially proud of her grandchildren Kelly Yam (husband Philip), Jenna Maher, Rachel O’Connell, Alyssandra O’Connell, Thomas Lucido, Matthew Lucido, and Emma Castro, and she treasured the time she spent with them. Bev was thrilled with the recent arrival of her precious great granddaughter Nora, and was proud to be called G-Gma. Bev was predeceased by her beloved sisters Barbara Buchner, Dorothy Rocco and Noreen Buchner. She is survived by her sister-in-law Maureen Wiley and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Bev will always be remembered for her beautiful smile. She had a deep love for Jesus and radiated love and warmth to all around her. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of forty one. While the disease took its toll on her physically, she was not inclined to self-pity and lived each day with grace. She had a sunny disposition and was grateful despite her circumstance. Her life was truly a testament to her faith. Bev was the heart of her family, full of love and astounding strength to the very end. 

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 11 AM at St. Anthony’s RC Church, Northvale, New Jersey. A casual reception will follow at the Lucidos’ home at 35 Germonds Road in New City, New York. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bev’s memory may be made to the  National Multiple Sclerosis Society or Children International.

Marie T. Panza (nee Borio), 91, of Norwood, passed away on Friday, December 3, 2021. Beloved husband of the late Mauro Panza. Loving mother of Richard Panza and his wife Claudia of Dingmans Ferry, PA and Diane Zagacki of Norwood. Cherished grandmother of Michael Panza and Jessica Zagacki. Great-grandmother of Michelle Panza. Dearest sister of Grace Lepore and the late Lawrence Borio. Marie also leaves behind a host of family and friends that adored her.

Before retiring, Marie was a secretary for many years for the Park Medical Group in Northvale.  She was a member of the Fort Lee Women’s Club.  She loved her family above all and enjoyed oil painting, nature and watching birds.

Visiting hours are Friday, December 10, 2021 from 10 – 11 AM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ (201-767-3050). A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 AM at St. Anthony’s RC Church, Northvale with entombment to follow at Madonna Mausoleum, Fort Lee.

The Funeral Mass can be viewed through the livestream link below:

https://boxcast.tv/channel/marie-t-panza-nee-borio-funeral-mass-793487

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Barbara Rose Hovorka (nee Baker), 81, a lifelong resident of Orangeburg, NY, passed away on Thursday, December 2, 2021. Born April 17, 1940 in Yonkers, NY to James and Frances Baker.

As a young lady, Barbara was known for her musical talents, performing with multiple musical groups playing her accordion on stage, TV and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Barbara was the beloved wife of George Hovorka, a love that we only grew to truly understand as time went on. We are at peace knowing that they are reunited, and the bickering has probably already started.

Barbara was an avid sports fan and never missed an event her sons and grandchildren were involved in, as well as any kid she held dear, and there were many. Not to mention her beloved NY Mets, she rarely missed a game.

Barbara, better known as “Baabs”, was a special lady, a Mom that would do anything for her sons. She was the boss, known throughout the Nyack restaurant scene as the force keeping a bunch of young knuckleheads together. Then, as Grandma, a job she took to heart molding her grandchildren into adults that she was ever so proud of. Again, that group was much larger than just her maternal grandchildren, a bunch that spans from Australia to next door.

Baabs last career was that of a South Orangetown school bus driver. In typical fashion, Baabs decided she could do this in her late 60’s and continued until a couple years ago, touching many young lives with her no-nonsense approach.

Baabs is predeceased by her husband George and is survived by her sister Ellen (Gary); her sons, Joseph (Renee) and Hank (Maureen); her grandchildren, Heather (Dennis), Shane (Julia), Luke (Jenna), Hunter and Kyle; grandniece Mia, along with many other grandchildren through family and friends, as well as nieces, nephews and every kid she touched as Baabs the bus driver. A special thank you to her devoted best friend that made not only our mother’s life easier, but was a life-saver to us as well, Doreen.

Visiting hours are Sunday, December 5, 2021 from 2-5 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10 AM at St. Catharine’s RC Church, Blauvelt with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Alba Manasseri (nee Proto) was a caring sister, aunt and friend. She died peacefully on November 17th at Morristown Hospital at the age of 75. Alba was born to Mary & Seccondo Proto on December 14th, 1945. She attended Weehawken Highschool and earned her bachelor’s degree in Italian Language and Literature from Rutgers University. After graduating from college, Alba spent the next several years working for American Airlines as an airline customer service agent. She moved to California in 1981 and eventually moved back to be with her family. Alba loved spending time in the kitchen, creating delicious meals for her family. The ocean was one of her favorite places so she spent many of her summers down the shore to be by the beach. Alba also enjoyed a healthy dose of shopping, especially if there was a big sale!

Alba is survived by her two sisters Lydia Russo and Emma Segro, her nephew Dino Russo and her nieces Dina Segro, Jennine Dattolli & Joie Hill

A memorial service will be arranged in January at St. Anthony’s Church in Northvale,

NJ.

Beverly Joan McLaughlin (nee Keil), 77 of Ridgefield, NJ, passed away on Saturday, November 20, 2021. Beloved wife of the late Michael W. McLaughlin. Loving mother and mother-in-law of Kevin M. and Laura McLaughlin. Proud and loving grandmother of Kevin J. and Lucy. Dearest sister of Barbara Battistuta, William Keil, Walter Keil and the late Lorraine Nurge.  She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews, and her godchildren, whom she cherished and adored.

Beverly worked for Oritani Savings Bank in Ridgefield for many years. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, and will be missed by those who knew her.

Funeral services will be private.

Arrangements by Pizzi Funeral Home, Northvale, NJ.

James F. McErlean, 86, of Norwood, NJ, formerly of Oak Ridge, NJ, passed away at home on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Beloved father of James McErlean, Jr., Eileen McErlean and the late Michael McErlean. Proud grandfather of Nicole, Frank, Michael Jr., J.J., Danny and Robert. Cherished great-grandfather of four.

James was an executive vice-president for Warren George Drilling Company in Jersey City, NJ.

Visitation is Monday, November 22, 2021 from 11 AM to 12 Noon at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ (201-767-3050) with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.

Those who wish may make a donation in Jim’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Vincent J. DiSpagna, Sr., 91, of Ridgefield, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Beloved husband of 67 years to Joan (nee Verdigi). Loving father of Diane, Vincent and his wife Xianhui, and Jane Weiss and her husband Carey. Proud grandfather of Nicholas & Paulette, Mathew & Jacqueline, Christopher & Hannah, Jeremy & Hayley, Jeffrey & Chiarina, Victoria & Kyle, Elizabeth & Samuel, and April. Cherished great-grandfather of Jace, Hendrix, Vivianna, Olivia and Mila. Dear brother of the late Antoinette, Joseph and Josephine.

Vincent was a US Navy veteran. He was co-founder of Transports Specialist and Portside Customs Service. He was president of the St. Matthew’s Home/School Association, was a Cub Scout leader, a Ridgefield Little League coach and later was a member of the Ridgefield Senior Citizens and enjoyed serving on the Entertainment Committee. Vin was also a loyal NY Giants fan and was a season ticket holder from 1975-2021. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Visiting hours are Sunday, November 14, 2021 from 1-5 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale (201-767-3050). A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, November 15, 2021 at 10 AM at St. Anthony’s RC Church, Northvale with entombment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.

The Funeral Mass can be viewed through the live-stream link below:

https://boxcast.tv/channel/vincent-j-dispagna-sr-funeral-mass-804329

The family requests that donations in Vincent’s memory be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Dianna Stilling, 77, of Haworth, New Jersey passed away on November 3, 2021. 

Dianna (Diane) was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 13, 1944.  She and her younger sister Patricia were raised by their parents, Helen and Stanley Ciecierski, in the Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint surrounded by an extended family of aunts , uncles, grandparents, and cousins, and shops that sold Kielbasa and Babka. She went to middle school and high school in Brooklyn, developed an interest in art and fashion, and attended classes at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. She loved drawing, watercolors, and pastels.

After finishing high school, she took a job at Eastern Airlines, which kindled her love of travel.  She went to Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay with her friends, and Puerto Rico with her parents. At Eastern Airlines she met her Husband, Paul Stilling, a travel agent. To him, Dianna was the pretty girl across the room. They were married at Saint Anthony’s Church in Greenpoint on August 18, 1968 (the reception was legendary). Dianna and Paul were curious and adventurous and traveled the world together, first to Rome, and then, over the next five decades, to Britain, Ireland, France, Italy (four times), Spain, Gibraltar, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and all over the U.S. (They loved the Southwest.)

Dianna and Paul lived in Queens, Brooklyn, and Yonkers. They moved to the little suburban town of Haworth in 1981, where they raised two sons, Thomas and Robert. In Haworth, Dianna packed lunches, made dinner, took the kids to school and music lessons, sewed suits and amazing Halloween costumes (Kermit the Frog, Dracula), and listened patiently as everyone practiced piano, clarinet, and violin. She went back to work at the AAA Auto Club of Oradell. There, Dianna worked as an auto travel counselor for thirty years making TripTiks and helping thousands of customers get where they needed to go, even the grouchy ones. She read who knows how many paperback novels (she liked spy novels and mysteries), enjoyed lunches with her friends from the office and looked forward to their yearly trip to see the tree at Rockefeller Center.

She enjoyed going to concerts and shows and museums and restaurants with Paul and her family. She was a good sport at the opera. Her sons went off to college at Indiana University and Yale, and she always wanted to visit and see any new place they moved to. She still bought enough groceries to feed an army and fed her sons when they came home. She loved the movie Grease and had a wonderful time seeing the film with her family at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for her 70^th birthday.

After Dianna and Paul retired, they lived a quiet, simple life at home. They had their little routines. They discovered all the beautiful parks and lookouts along the Hudson. She loved going with Paul to the State Line Park, Hamilton Park, and Ross Dock Park. She and Paul would take their binoculars and gaze out over the Hudson at New York, the trains, the bridges, and the Manhattan skyline. She enjoyed her walks around Cooper’s Pond in Bergenfield, and texted pictures of ducks and scenery and her husband to her children, who sent back pictures of where they were traveling and what they were up to. She recorded and watched her favorite shows with Paul, and loved to do her puzzles. After too much time apart during the pandemic, and many phone calls home, her sons Tom and Robert were grateful to be able to visit and spend time with their parents again, though that time is never enough.

Dianna and Paul spent fifty-three years together. They were each other’s worlds. On her desk she left a favorite puzzle of a Van Gogh seascape, two-thirds done. She was our mom, our dearest Dianna, our Amish momish who didn’t know which remote to use. She was funny, smart, creative, and we love her and miss her so much. She is survived by her husband, Paul, her son Thomas, his partner Jason, their puppy Murphy, and her son Robert. A small, private service for family will be held at the Pizzi Funeral Home in Northvale, NJ on Friday, November 12. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association. 

https://www.heart.org/?form=donate&s_src=21U5W1AEMG&s_subsrc=evg_sem&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-K2MBhC-ARIsAMtLKRtyv6rbFQ7QawEEHguyYfRv1haDLGe19KcKlGtvHPukXH60w7maKNEaAjY6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Robert R Kilpatrick, 93, of Northvale passed away on Tuesday November 9. Bob was the owner/operator of B Kilpatrick Moving and Storage before retiring in 1985.  Bob’s life was spent in the service of others. He served 10 years in the National Guard, after which he was an active member of the Northvale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Bob was a former chief of the Northvale Fire Department and had recently celebrated his 62nd year of active duty.

Bob was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, the love of his life, Ann W. Kilpatrick, nee Kennedy (2019). Bob was the son of the late Robert J Kilpatrick and the late Grace Kilpatrick. Dear brother of the late Enid Schaechinger and her late husband Kenneth and the late Eileen Schmitz and her husband Ronald. Brother-in-law of the late Pearl Masincup and the late Paul Masincup. Cousin of Harry, Bruce, and John Neumann. Cherished uncle of Kenneth and Nancy, David and Kim, Gary and Heather, and Donald Schaechinger, James, Brian and Daniel Schmitz, Joanne Abdulla, and the late Paul Masincup Jr, as well as several great-nieces and nephews. Special friend of Jack Franz, Louis Hamberg, and Frank Malatesta. Bob had many friends and will be greatly missed by all.

Visitation will be Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM.  A service will be held at 12:30 PM and burial will follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, www.mda.org, would be greatly appreciated.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Lillian Margaret Galbornetti, 87, of Norwood was born July 9th, 1934 to Cosmo and Michelina “Margaret” Mastronardi in Cedarhurst, NY. She was married to Gene for 63 years. Lillian leaves behind Gabrielle (Gigi) Marino (John), Landing, NJ; and Greg of Avon, NJ. She also leaves her four grandchildren Matthew (Arianne), Danielle and Christian Marino; Isabella Galbornetti. Lillian grew up in Inwood and Cedarhurst, NY and lived in Norwood for 60 years. She was a1952 graduate of Lawrence High School, a 1956 graduate of Potsdam University Teachers College with a BS degree in Music Education and in 1982 earned a MS degree in Elementary Education from CW Post/ LI University, Orangeburg, NY. Lillian was a music teacher and then a 2nd grade teacher for 20 years at Immaculate Conception/ Holy Family School in Norwood. After, she taught at Saddle River Day School and lastly, at St. Joseph’s Sacred Heart School in Demarest. Lillian was a choral director, Secretary for the library, Catechist and Eucharistic Minister. She was regularly involved with the women’s club and the seniors. Lillian loved to read, a novel was near her wherever she went, and enjoyed engaging in talking about books, world events and news. Lillian cooked daily and baked frequently. She liked to sew and play the piano. She found pleasure in watching movies.She would walk every day in the morning, and was a member of a local gym. She appreciated nature, animals and more significantly, Lillian adored the beach and the warmer weather. Her love of Tennis went adjacent to watching sports which included; Tennis, Baseball and Football. Lillian had always been active in her accomplished life; she was versatile, skilled, knowledgeable, wise and loyal to all she knew.

Lillian and Gene often attended sporting events for their granddaughters, Danielle and Isabella. Her grandchildren, Matthew, Danielle and Christian spent a majority of their younger years with their grandmother (Grandee); they admired and tenderly loved her for many qualities which allowed them to cherish and keep Lillian close to their heart. She found joy in sharing her interests with her grandchildren; highly exemplifying her gratitude to the ones who reciprocated the foundation of who Lillian stood for as an active, creative, kind-hearted, devoted, compassionate, courageous and much more that represented the human being and woman Lillian was. Lillian and Gene were present for important events in their children and grandchildren’s lives ie.; birthdays, graduations. Holidays were special to Lillian; she deeply valued the time spent with family.

Lillian Margaret Galbornetti, 87, passed away on October 31, 2021.

A memorial Mass will be held Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 11AM at Immaculate Conception Church, 211 Summit Street, Norwood, NJ.

Donations in Lillian’s name can be made to the Norwood EMS, 496 Broadway, Norwood, NJ 07648.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com